Customer experience (CX) research: how to get it right.

Customer expectations are evolving faster than ever. Technologies like artificial intelligence (AI) and chatbots are changing how customers interact with brands, and expectations for personalized, seamless experiences are now the norm. What was considered an exceptional interaction yesterday might feel outdated tomorrow.

If your business isn’t consistently tracking and understanding these shifts, you risk falling behind. That’s where customer experience research (CX research) comes in. CX research goes beyond simply asking customers if they’re satisfied—it digs into how they feel, what they value most, and where friction occurs across the customer journey.

When done well, customer experience research empowers you to:

• Anticipate what customers will want next.
• Adapt quickly to new technologies and behaviors.
• Align your brand with what matters most to your audience.

This isn’t just about customer satisfaction—it’s about growth and resilience. Research consistently shows that businesses that invest in CX see measurable results:

• Brands that prioritize customer experience grow revenues 4–8% faster than their competitors.
• PwC found 73% of customers cite experience as an important factor in their purchasing decisions—just behind price and product quality.
• According to Gartner, 81% of companies expect CX to be their primary competitive differentiator.

The message is clear: customer experience research isn’t optional; it’s essential. By understanding your customers more deeply, you not only deliver better service but also build long-term loyalty and profitability.

So, how exactly do you conduct CX research that’s actionable—research that doesn’t just collect data but produces insights you can confidently apply? This guide will break down definitions, methods, trends, and a step-by-step process for getting it right.

What is customer experience research?

At its core, customer experience research (CX research) is about understanding how customers perceive your brand across every interaction. It goes deeper than surface-level satisfaction surveys. Instead, CX research explores the entire journey—from awareness and consideration, to purchase, support, and long-term loyalty.

This type of research answers critical questions, such as:

• How do customers actually feel about your brand, product, or service?
• Where do friction points occur in the customer journey?
• What motivates repeat purchases or brand advocacy?
• Which experiences drive loyalty—and which drive churn?

CX research vs. customer service feedback

It’s important to distinguish customer service feedback from customer experience research.

• Customer service feedback typically focuses on single interactions— “Was the agent helpful?” or “Did your issue get resolved?”
• Customer experience research is broader. It captures perceptions across all touchpoints, including marketing, digital platforms, in-store interactions, and post-purchase engagement.

Put simply: customer service is one chapter, while customer experience is the whole story.

Two levels of CX research

There are two main approaches to CX research:

1. General market research
   Looks at industry-wide trends in customer expectations. For example, if AI-driven chatbots are becoming the standard in your sector, general research helps you understand how competitors are using them—and where customers feel underserved.
2. Business-specific research
   Focuses on your customers’ unique journey. This includes analyzing how well your support channels work, how intuitive your online checkout feels, or how satisfied customers are with onboarding.

By blending both approaches, you get a full picture: benchmarking your performance against industry peers, while uncovering insights specific to your brand.

Key market trends shaping CX research.

Customer experience isn’t static—it’s constantly reshaped by technology, customer behavior, and competitive pressure. To conduct meaningful CX research, it’s important to understand the larger market forces influencing customer expectations.

A recent report by The Futurum Group highlighted several key trends shaping customer experience today, including the importance of customer service in increasing brand loyalty and AI’s role in the customer journey.

Key trends that are shaping the CX world include:

1. AI and automation in customer experience

Artificial intelligence (AI) has moved from novelty to necessity. Smarter chatbots, predictive analytics, and generative AI tools are changing the way customers interact with brands. For example, AI-powered chatbots can now handle complex queries, provide personalized recommendations, and seamlessly hand off conversations to human agents when needed.

Why it matters for research: CX research should now measure not only whether customers are satisfied, but whether automated experiences feel natural, contextual, and trustworthy.

2. The shift to omnichannel journeys

Customers don’t think in terms of channels—they expect consistent experiences whether they’re calling, emailing, chatting on social, or visiting in-store. Research shows that nearly 90% of customers expect seamless interactions across channels.

Why it matters for research: Surveys and journey mapping must capture how customers move between channels, where handoffs succeed, and where friction creates frustration.

3. Loyalty at risk: the cost of poor service

According to The Futurum Group, 95% of customers will switch brands after a poor service experience. With so many alternatives available, loyalty is fragile.

Why it matters for research: CX programs should prioritize uncovering where service failures occur—long hold times, repetitive questions, confusing digital flows—and quantify their impact on retention.

4. Redefining “good service”

Customer expectations are a moving target. Today, “good service” often means not having to repeat information, faster resolution times, and effortless digital tools. Tomorrow, it could mean hyper-personalization, AI assistants, or voice-activated support.

Why it matters for research: Continuous listening is essential. What customers consider “excellent” today may be considered “average” within a year.

These market trends highlight why CX research needs to be both ongoing and flexible. By understanding how forces like AI, omnichannel expectations, and shifting loyalty patterns influence customers, businesses can adjust their research methods—and their CX strategies—to stay ahead.

Read the report ➡️

Why is customer experience research important?

Customer experience research isn’t just a “nice-to-have.” It’s the foundation for making strategic decisions about your customer journey. Without research, companies are essentially guessing where friction occurs, what customers value most, and which investments will have the greatest impact.

When you understand your customers on a deeper level, you can design experiences that go beyond resolving issues—you can anticipate needs, remove friction, and build long-term loyalty. This has a ripple effect across the business:

• Informed decision-making: Research provides evidence for where to focus time, money, and effort. Instead of guessing which touchpoints matter most, you can confidently prioritize the ones that shape customer satisfaction and loyalty.
• Stronger alignment across teams: Marketing, sales, product, and support can rally around shared customer insights, creating a more cohesive customer journey.
• Future-proofing your business: In fast-moving markets, customer expectations shift rapidly. Ongoing CX research ensures you don’t just react to changes—you anticipate them.
• Competitive differentiation: According to Gartner, 81% of companies expect CX to be their primary differentiator. Without research, it’s impossible to deliver experiences that truly set you apart.

The numbers further reinforce the importance of CX research:

• 80% of future profits will come from just 20% of existing customers (Gartner).
• Increasing customer retention by 5% can boost profits by 25–95% (Bain & Company).
• Brands that prioritize CX grow revenues 4–8% faster than competitors (Bain & Company).

In short: customer experience research is the engine that turns customer feedback into business growth.

These aren’t the only customer experience statistics you need to know about. Explore more essential customer experience statistics.

Customer experience research methods.

There’s no one-size-fits-all approach to customer experience research. The right method depends on what you want to learn, how quickly you need insights, and the resources available. In general, research falls into two categories: qualitative and quantitative.

Qualitative research methods.

Qualitative methods focus on the why behind customer behaviors. They provide rich, descriptive insights that help you understand emotions, perceptions, and motivations.

• Focus groups: Small group discussions moderated to test ideas or uncover perceptions. These are especially useful when you want to explore how customers talk about your brand in their own words.
• Surveys and interviews: While surveys can include both qualitative and quantitative questions, open-ended survey responses and one-to-one interviews provide deeper insights into customer attitudes.
• Reviews and social listening: Customer reviews and social media posts reveal candid, unfiltered opinions. Identifying recurring themes helps surface both strengths and weaknesses in your customer journey.
• Observations: Watching how customers behave in-store, online, or in a support interaction uncovers pain points customers may not articulate directly.

When to use: Early in the research process, when exploring customer perceptions or testing new ideas.

Quantitative research methods.

Quantitative methods focus on measurable data—the what behind customer behavior. They allow you to track patterns across large groups and evaluate performance against benchmarks.

• A/B testing: Compare two versions of a message, webpage, or product feature to see which performs better.
• Customer churn analysis: Tracks the rate at which customers stop using your service and pinpoints where in the journey they drop off.
• Net Promoter Score (NPS): Measures customer loyalty by asking how likely customers are to recommend your brand.
• Customer Satisfaction Score (CSAT): Captures overall satisfaction with a specific product, service, or interaction.
• Customer Effort Score (CES): Assesses how easy it is for customers to complete actions like purchases or support requests—low effort generally means higher satisfaction.

When to use: When you need statistically valid insights, to track progress over time, or to compare against competitors.

Choosing between qualitative and quantitative.

The most effective CX programs combine both types of research. Qualitative insights uncover why customers feel a certain way, while quantitative data shows how widespread those feelings are.

Takeaway: By blending qualitative and quantitative approaches, businesses get the full picture—understanding not just the numbers behind customer experience, but also the human stories that explain them.

How to conduct customer experience research in 5 steps

Even the best research methods won’t deliver results without a clear process. To make your customer experience research actionable, follow these five steps:

Step 1: Set clear goals.

Before gathering any data, define what you want to achieve. Are you trying to understand overall sentiment? Improve a specific touchpoint like onboarding? Or compare loyalty between different customer segments?

Example: A SaaS company might set a goal to measure why trial users fail to convert into paying subscribers within 14 days.

Best practice: Write down measurable objectives (e.g., “increase NPS by 10 points in six months”) and communicate them across teams.

Step 2: Build the right team.

CX research is most effective when it brings together different perspectives. Involve people from customer experience, user experience, marketing, sales, and product development. Assign a project lead to keep the research organized and on track.

Example: An e-commerce retailer might include its digital UX designer, customer support manager, and marketing analyst to ensure all parts of the customer journey are represented.

Best practice: Create a central workspace (like Webex Whiteboard) to align goals and responsibilities across departments.

Step 3: Choose your methods and metrics.

Once goals are clear, select the right combination of qualitative and quantitative methods. Define the metrics you’ll track so you can measure success consistently.

• Qualitative: Customer interviews to understand why cart abandonment happens.
• Quantitative: A/B testing checkout flows to measure conversion rate improvements.

Best practice: Avoid overloading customers with too many surveys. Focus on a few key measures like NPS, CSAT, or CES and supplement with in-depth feedback.

Step 4: Collect the data.

With your plan in place, begin gathering data. Keep timelines realistic—short enough to maintain momentum, but long enough to capture meaningful insights.

Example: A telecom provider might run a three-month NPS survey to capture feedback from new subscribers while simultaneously reviewing call center transcripts for recurring service issues.

Best practice: Use automation to streamline collection—tools like Webex Connect can make customer outreach and interviews easier to scale.

Step 5: Analyze and act on findings.

Research only creates value when insights lead to action. Look for patterns, identify pain points, and translate results into clear initiatives. Prioritize changes that will have the greatest impact on satisfaction and loyalty.

Example: If customers repeatedly cite long onboarding times as a frustration, the company can simplify its setup process, provide video tutorials, or add proactive support chatbots.

Best practice: Share results across the organization so every team understands what customers want—and how their role contributes to improving CX.

Takeaway: By moving through these five steps—goal setting, team building, method selection, data collection, and analysis—you can ensure your research produces actionable insights that drive real improvements.

Essential tools to carry out your research.

The most successful customer experience research is backed by the right software. These tools streamline the process of gathering insights, analyzing results, and aligning teams on next steps:

• Collaboration and brainstorming tools like Webex Whiteboard help teams align on research goals, co-create customer journey maps, and document findings in one shared space.
• Survey and analytics capabilities within Webex Contact Center make it easy to capture customer feedback across channels and turn it into actionable insights. Real-time dashboards, reporting, and post-interaction surveys provide a clear view of satisfaction and loyalty.
• Communications platforms like Webex Connect simplify outreach and make it easy to run customer interviews, focus groups, or proactive follow-ups.
• Omnichannel contact center solutions like Webex Contact Center give you a holistic view of interactions across phone, chat, email, and social channels—essential for understanding customer journeys end-to-end.
• Audience engagement tools like Webex Polling create dynamic interactions, from live Q&A sessions during research panels to polls that gather immediate feedback.
• Review management tools track external sentiment from third-party platforms, giving you an objective perspective on your brand.
• Benchmarking platforms compare your CX performance to industry averages, highlighting strengths and areas for improvement.

Turning insights into action.

Customer experience research is more than just collecting feedback—it’s about uncovering actionable insights that strengthen journeys, deepen loyalty, and drive business growth. The organizations that succeed are the ones that move beyond static surveys and build ongoing research programs that evolve with customer expectations.

With the right methods, tools, and team in place, CX research becomes a strategic advantage. And with Webex Contact Center, you can capture customer feedback at every touchpoint, analyze interactions across channels, and use those insights to create experiences that set your brand apart.

Ready to unlock deeper customer insights? Discover how Webex can elevate your customer experience research.